Maria Sibylla Merian — Questions and answers

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What did Maria Sibylla Merian want to find out during her journey to Suriname?

Choices

  1. Where the best places to buy art supplies were
  2. The secrets of insect life cycles ✓
  3. How to build a better boat for travel
  4. New ways to grow plants in hot weather

Answer: The secrets of insect life cycles

From page 1

What did people believe about insects before Maria Merian's work?

Choices

  1. That insects came from eggs laid by adult insects
  2. That insects appeared suddenly from things like rotting meat or dew ✓
  3. That insects only lived for a few days
  4. That insects were invisible to the human eye

Answer: That insects appeared suddenly from things like rotting meat or dew

From page 2

What did Maria Sibylla Merian love to observe when she was young?

Choices

  1. How her family ran their publishing house
  2. Still-life paintings her stepfather made
  3. Caterpillars transforming ✓
  4. New types of paper and pigments

Answer: Caterpillars transforming

From page 3

What was the name of Maria Merian's first big book?

Choices

  1. The Butterfly Garden
  2. The Caterpillar Book ✓
  3. Insects of Europe
  4. Stages of Metamorphosis

Answer: The Caterpillar Book

From page 4

Who did Maria Merian travel to Suriname with?

Choices

  1. Her husband
  2. A group of scientists
  3. Only her younger daughter ✓
  4. Her whole family

Answer: Only her younger daughter

From page 5

How did Maria Merian study insects in Suriname?

Choices

  1. She only collected dead insects for her collection.
  2. She observed, sketched, and documented live insects in their natural homes. ✓
  3. She read books about insects written by other scientists.
  4. She asked other people to collect insects for her.

Answer: She observed, sketched, and documented live insects in their natural homes.

From page 6

What was the title of Maria Merian's famous book about Suriname insects?

Choices

  1. The Big Book of Bugs
  2. Surinamese Jungle Wonders
  3. Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium ✓
  4. Plants and Animals of South America

Answer: Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium

From page 7

What important scientific idea did Maria Merian's book help to disprove?

Choices

  1. That all insects are pests
  2. That insects fly using their wings
  3. That insects suddenly appear from decaying matter ✓
  4. That plants need sunlight to grow

Answer: That insects suddenly appear from decaying matter

From page 8

How did Maria Merian challenge the rules for women in her time?

Choices

  1. She became a queen and ruled a country.
  2. She refused to conform to academic institutions and relied on her own funding. ✓
  3. She only painted portraits of wealthy men.
  4. She invented a new type of clothing for women.

Answer: She refused to conform to academic institutions and relied on her own funding.

From page 9

Why is Maria Merian's work still important to scientists today?

Choices

  1. It helps them learn how to draw better insects.
  2. It helps track changes in insect populations and plant interactions over time. ✓
  3. It shows them how to travel to Suriname.
  4. It teaches them about 17th-century art styles.

Answer: It helps track changes in insect populations and plant interactions over time.

From page 10